Reinventing in a pandemic

Despite the mix of emotions we’re all navigating, and how triggering it can feel, I’ve been watching a theme emerge with clients and friends who are making the most of this time.

Reinvention.

A new kind of reinvention to go with a new kind of normal.

What comes from being forced to be more patient, slow down (or do even more to hold it altogether), and see your life as it really is.

It’s uncomfortable being in one place longer than you thought you would have to, and it’s even more uncomfortable to have to look at things you’ve avoided for a long time.

What do you do then?

You become more of yourself.

1) You notice what’s working and what never did. You see the reality of our systems, society, neighborhoods and your own life. It isn’t easy being pushed through our comfort zones into truth-facing, but it will ultimately be worth it. I have a lot of hope for that.

2) You lean into what matters most. If helping others was always important to you, you’ll find more ways to do it now. If having a small circle of mentors was a desire, it may feel clearer now who they are and why you need them. Same is true for what aspects of your work or your life are the most valuable to you. It’s all becoming clearer therefore easier to choose them.

3) You worry less. Okay, most of us are worrying more, so what I mean is that just like I experienced in the hospital 16 years ago when something big happens, the daily things you were scared of or worried about matter less. Like what people will think if you try something new. Hopefully you’re trying more now, because some day soon we will go back to “normal life” and safely ignoring/avoiding again. This is the moment to use your clarity to be brave.

4) You do something. It’s happening all around us! Teachers driving by their student’s houses to cheer them on, celebrities peeling back the curtain to expose who they really are, restaurants feeding frontline workers, weddings on Zoom, and the words Thank You being said with deep heartedness. I’m seeing some businesses taking on more orders, making face masks plus their own products; carrying more vendors in their stores than ever before to share the wealth; running fundraisers to lift others up; and offering free recipes and resources because it feels like the right thing to do. Meaningful actions connecting us as human beings.

5) You stand still. A special shout-out to everyone taking more time, because that’s reinvention too. Becoming more of yourself. Putting something out there just because you think you have to will exhaust you, and we’re all exhausted enough right now as it is. So if you’re taking more naps, writing more, learning, reading and planning more, you’re doing it right. There will be plenty of time for what you have to share when you’re ready to share it. For every person out there Doing Something right now, there are as many of us tinkering at home. Imagine the results that will come from that!

I would love to hear how you’re reinventing, and becoming more of yourself through the experience.

And I’ll be live again on Instagram this Wednesday at 1:00pm Eastern via my business community @HVWiB talking about what we’re doing More and Less of in this new normal if you want to join the conversation!

Let’s inspire each other through our reinventions.

Thanks to Lara Zielin for this photo from our dad & daughter river cruise last fall.